Tobacco smoke, derived from tobacco smoldering or active smoker exhalation, is a source of human exposure to mutagens and carcinogens. Studies indicate that a close correlation exists between exposure to tobacco smoke and health hazards such as respiratory and cardiopulmonary diseases and lung cancer, in smokers and non-smokers alike. It is known that both active and passive smokers excrete, in their urine, high amounts of tobacco-derived mutagens. In addition, studies have established a connection between human cancer and well-cooked meat (such as, for example, meat cooked on a grill). (See Burros, M., Tea? Turmeric? The Quest for Safer Barbecue, The New York Times on the Web, Jul. 5, 2000 (hereinafter “the Burros article”)). At high temperatures, creatine in muscle meats react with amino acids, forming cancer-causing compounds called heterocyclic amines. Marination, however, has been used to reduce these heterocyclic amines. Scientists suspect that antioxidants such as garlic, onions, chives, turmeric, thyme, rosemary and oregano, as well as vitamins C and E, assist in reducing such amines. Marination, however, does not reduce the level of other carcinogens, arising, for example, when fat falls on a fire and causes smoke. (See the Burros article).
Turmeric has been found to be effective in inhibiting the formation and excretion of urinary mutagens in smokers. (See P. Kalpagam, T. C. Raghuram, T. P. Krishna and K. Krishnaswamy, “Effect of Turmeric on Urinary Mutagens in Smokers”, Mutagenesis, vol. 7, no. 2, pp. 107–109 (1992) (stating that tobacco mutagens may be detoxified by the active principle curcumin)). Turmeric has also been found to be an effective anti-mutagen and may be useful in chemoprevention. Articles discussing turmeric and/or curcumin include: Krishnaswamy, K., and Raghuramulu, N., Bioactive Phytochemicals with Emphasis on Dietary Practices, Indian J Med Res 108, November 1998, pp. 167–181; Deshpande, S. S., Ingle, A. D., and Maru, G. B., Inhibitory Effects of Curcumin-Free Aqueous Turmeric Extract on Benzo[alpha]pyrene-Induced Forestomach Papillomas in Mice, Cancer Letters, 118 (1997) 79–85; Srimal R. C., Turmeric: A Brief Review of Medicinal Properties, Fitoterapia; Vol. LXVIII, No. 6, 1997, pp. 483–493; Arbiser, J. L., Klauber, N., Rohan, R., van Leeuwen, R., Huang, M. T., Fisher, C., Flynn, E., Byers, H. R., Curcumin is an In Vivo Inhibitor of Angiogenesis, Mol Med (June 1998), 4(6):376–83; Plummer, S. M., Holloway, K. A., Manson, M. M., Munks, R. J., Kaptein, A., Farrow, S., and Howells, L., Inhibition of Cyclo-Oxygenase 2 Expression in Colon Cells by the Chemopreventive Agent Curcumin Involves Inhibition of NF-kappaB activation Via the NIK/IKK Signaling Complex, Oncogene (Oct. 28, 1999), 18(44):6013–20; Singhal, S. S., Awasthi, S., Pandya, U., Piper, J. T., Saini, M. K., Cheng, J. Z., and Awasthi, Y. C., The Effect of Curcumin on Glutathione-Linked Enzymes in K562 Human Leukemia Cells, Toxicol Lett, Sep. 20, 1999, 109(1–2):87–95; Kang, B. Y., Song, Y. J., Kim, K. M., Choe, Y. K., Hwang, S. Y., Kim, T. S., Curcumin Inhibits Th1 Cytokine Profile in CD4+ T Cells By Suppressing Interleukin-12 Production in Macrophages, Br J Pharmacol, September 1999, 128(2):380–4.
In addition, turmeric may be used to reduce severely elevated fibrinogen levels. (See Ramirez-Bosca A., Soler A., Carrion-Gutierrez, M. A., Mira D. P., Zapata J. P., Diaz-Alperi J., Bernd A., Almagro E. Q. and Miquel, J., A Hydroalcoholic extract of Curcuma Longa Lowers the Apo B/Apo A Ratio Implications for Atherogenesis Prevention, Mechanisms of Ageing and Development 114. (2000) 207–210. As such, turmeric appears beneficial to the cardiovascular system of persons exposed to smoke.
Eugenol, a compound present in many spices such as cloves, cardamon, etc., has been reported to exhibit antimutagenicity against tobacco smoke. (See Sukumaran K. and Ramadasan K., Inhibition of Tobacco-Induced Mutagenesis by Eugenol and Plant Extracts, Mutation Research 343 (1995) 25–30). Moreover, Eugenol is believed to exhibit anti-peroxidative activity. (See Krishnaswamy, K., and Raghuramulu, N., Bioactive Phytochemicals with Emphasis on Dietary Practices, Indian J Med Res 108, November 1998, pp. 167–181).
Reportedly, green tea has chemopreventive effect against cigarette smoke-induced mutations in humans. (See Lee I. P., Kim Y. H., Kang M. H., Roberts C., Shim J. S., and Roh J. K., Chemopreventive Effect of Green Tea (Camrllia sinensis) Against Cigarette Smoke-Induced Mutations (SCE) in Humans, Journal of Cellular Biochemistry Supplement 27:68–75 (1997)). See, for example, Klaunig J. E., Xu Y., Han C., Kamendulis L. M., Chen J., Heiser C., Gordon M. S., and Mohler III E. R., The Effect of Tea Consumption on Oxidative Stress in Smokers and Nonsmokers, Antioxidant Effects of Tea, pp. 249–254 for a discussion of the effect of green tea consumption on oxidative damage induced by cigarette smoking. See, for example, Renqing Z., Zhou Y., Chen D., Shenben L., and Haug A., Effects of Soaking Temperature and Soaking Time During Preparation of Water Extract of Tea on Anticlastogenicity Against Environmental Tobacco Smoke in the Sister-Chromatid Exchange Assay, Toxicology Letters 115 (2000) 23–32 for a discussion of the anticlastogenicity activity of green tea water extracts against environmental tobacco smoke. Furthermore, green tea has been reported as exhibiting cancer chemopreventive effects. (See Katiyar K. S., Agarwal R., Zaim M. T., and Mukhtar H., Protection Against N-nitrosodiethylamine and Benzo[alpha]pyrene-induced Forestomach and Lung Tumorigenesis in A/J Mice by Green Tea, Carcinogenesis, vol. 14, no. 5, pp. 849–855 (1993); Suganuma M., Okabe S., Kai Y., Sueoka N., Sueoka E., and Fujiki, H., Synergistic Effects of (−)-Epigallocatechin Gallate with (−)-Epicatechin, Sulindac, or Tamoxifen on Cancer-Preventive Activity in the Human Lung Cancer Cell Line PC-9, Cancer Research 59, 44–47, Jan. 1, 1999).
A cigarette filter containing a specific galenic formulation of a rosemary extract is reported as being effective in reducing the free radicals found in smoke. (See I. Emani, C. Rolando, M. Rojas, K. Alexandrov, H. Scherf, and H. Bartsch: A Rosemary Cigarette Filter May Reduce Tobacco-Linked Cancer, Biosyntech Chemopreventive Filter—Coresta, pp. 3–10, October 2000).
Myristicin, a volatile aroma constituent of parsley leaf oil, is reported as being a possible cancer chemopreventive agent. (See Zheng G., Kenney P. M., Zhang J., and Lam L. K. T., Inhibition of Benzo[alpha]pyrene-induced Tumorigenesis by Myristicin, a Volatile Aroma Constituent of Parsley Leaf Oil, Carcinogenesis, Vol. 13, no. 10, pp. 1921–1923 (1992)).
It is therefore known to use natural ingredients for smoke detoxification in humans. There is, however, a need for improving smoke detoxifying activity, using natural ingredient compositions.